For others, using older work, repurposing existing designs or worse (gulp!) — copying someone else’s design — is a way to save time and effort. Maybe even increase margins. More often than not, however, this cookie-cutter process allows a designer to low ball the fee, offering a ridiculously low base-rate just to drop in your logo, change colors, and maybe add some new pictures. Of course they’ll never tell you that: what you don’t know can’t hurt you.

Take the scenario, below, for example. On the left and right side are two real-life publicationsby two very different companies.

On the left side: a beautiful print brochure. With its imposing central image supported by a smaller collage of images, the design is both compelling and engaging. A great piece for your company. Until…

On the right side: while scanning a national, daily news website you come across this nearly identical design, with similar use imagery, created for a story on the tragedy of deportation. Hopefully your clients and colleagues don’t subscribe to that news outlet.

Now, don’t get us wrong, we understand that borrowing from a branding concept or design technique is not the same thing. This happens all the time, in millions of ways: A certain typographic solution, photographic technique, or graphic design effect.

As in music, so long as the actual tune is different, certain notes and sounds may be the same.

At PearTree Design, however, we strive to create designs that others emulate. With us, every graphic design project — from the smallest logo project to the most comprehensive brand development — starts with a blank piece of paper and a lot of listening.

For our clients, working with a graphic design team means taking part in a creative process — asking questions, answering questions, discovering information, uncovering elements that inspire us, and re-imagining ideas. Your business is not derivative, your branding shouldn’t be either.

Collaboration is key because our clients almost always have a vision or goal for their brand — even if they cannot necessarily articulate it. Our job is to extract and define that vision, both visually and in writing, in a very specific and unique way.